Game



Oct. 11,1932. L w MULVEY 1,82,294

' GAME Filed July 9, 1939 l atentecl Oct. 11, 1932 v issuer LESTER WALLACE MULVE'LDF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS I GAME Applicatidnjfiled ul 9, 1930., Serial No. 466,6 8.

This invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly to a type of the same in which a box shaped container em bodying anonmetallic bottom and sides, and

having a relatively-stationary transparent cover of electrostatically chargeable sub stance, (such for instance, as sheet celluloid), is combined with a movable unit or units, preferably disk shaped, having electrically is attractive, and repulsive characteristics, (preferably composed of polished copper foil or other suitable material), normally at rest upon the bottom of said container and 7 within inductive proximity to .said electrostatically chargeabletop, together with road ings, legends, directions, designs, or numbers, printed, or otherwise-formed. on the interior ottom of the box over which the said disk after a period ofjumping, rolling, revolving 530 and gyrating caused by the charge created by frictional contact against the surface of the said transparent top, comes to rest, the arrangement being such that in case of readings or legends on said bottom of the containerthe game may be used as a fortune teller, or stunt director, and in event of numbers being so used the player obtaining the greater total score, or whose disk comes to rest over the highestnumber, oranypre- 3o determined number, may be designatedand declared as the winner. g V The objects ofthe invention are to utilize for game and amusement purposes the attractive and repulsive characteristics of a suitably prepared disk, or disks, '(herein after inclusively, single or plural, referred to as disk), to and from an electrostatically chargeable substance, in combination with a container with a transparent top of said electrostatically chargeable substance and a bottom with a charted-inner surface on which may appear readings, legends, numbers or other material calculated to advise, direct action, score, and center and hold human interest; to provide a disk of major rolling, spinning, revolving and gyrating quality and vigorous movement when influenced by electrical energy generated by frictional contact against the exterior surface of the said transparent top; to provide a disk the edges of which are attracted to the transparent top, and adhere thereto, which disk rolls, 7

revolves and spins along theinner-surface of sand top when influenced by 'sald' charge until-releasedby the dissipation of energy,

or by a slight tapas by'the finger upon the exterior side of saidtop; to provide a disk of such form and substance as to be afiected by both repulsion and attraction; to provide a'means and novel combination by and in which a disk normally lying at the bottom of a box shaped container is affected, attracted, repelled, rolled, spun, revolved and gyrated about within, said container until finally coming to rest upon or over one of a series of numbers, readings, legends, or designs,

adaptable for fortune telling, or otherwise,

printed or otherwise placed upon the inner bottom of the container, the fortune or other designation to be read being the one over or upon which the disk finally comes to rest; and to provide the various other advantages and results made evident from the following specification. I accomplish the objects of my invention by the combination of parts shown in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the various views. When a frictional contact of a finger or fingers is had over and against the outer side of the cover, the electrical charge generated by-the friction is sufficient in its action on the disk to normally cause the disk in the container to assume a verticle position, hop, and jump, from the bottom to the inneriside, of the cover, roll, spin, revolve,and gyrate along the inner surface of the cover, and vigorously move, until finally it assumes a position of rest on or over some reading, legend, or figure, hereinbefore. referred to. vW'hen the coveris charged as stated, the disk is normally attracted at its edge to the inner side of said transparent "cover. It is the edge contact which creates and makes possible the revolv ing, gyrating, spinning, hopping, rolling, A

and vigorous moving, all of which would be andis impossible with sideor flat contact. The full action as describedadds much in creating and holding intense human interest.

The transparent cover is flexible and is slightly bent inwardly toward the interior of the container by the pressure of the fingers during the charging stroke. This bending of the cover shortens the distance from the charged surface to the "disks in their position of rest, and this shortening ofv distance increases and strengthens 'the attractive properties of the charge in their action upon the disk, The substance of the disk must be sufliciently hard so that the impactsat its edge upon the top and bottom of the con tainer do not-.fiatten said edge, as such fiat.-

tening tends to diminish its gyrating, rolling,

spinning,-revolving, and vigorous movement,- although not afiecting its attraction and repulsion. qualities. The d-iskis of predeter- It will beunderstood that the ldrawing discloses but one preferred construction for carrying the invention into effect, and that the same is capable of variation and m0di -fication without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is not desired to limit myselfto the exact details of construction set forth, but to avail myself of such variations, modifications, and equivalents as may appended claim. I l

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top-plan View of my device. Figure 2; is a longitudinal secbe construed to fallwithin the scope of the ftional view on the line 2 2 in Figure 1;

hereinbefore referred as.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the disk Referring again with more detail to the drawing, Figuresl and 2 show a contalner or box comprising the bottom A preferably of card board-or other suitable material, the sides B,preferably of wood, and the cover C, preferably ofitransparent celluloid or other transparent .electro chargeable sub stance. Printed or otherwise formed onlthe interior of the bottom A, maybe a series of numerals increasing froml t0 8 as shown in Figure'l, or otherwise, Or readings, legends, penalties, forfeits, directions,; and de: signs may appear onsaidbottominterior i 'asdesignated by theletters-D in Figure 1, f a

} 'Within. the-box is adisk E, of, which there maybe optionally a plurality, as for instance In use the players, one at a time and in turn when playing-With one disk, or one at a time acting for all players, with a disk for each player, passes the finger'or fingers with relatively rapid and light stroke against the exterior surface of the transparent cover G, which stroke. or strokes reg V sults in bending the cover'inwardly approximately as shown by C in Figure 2 and in charging said cover withstatic electricity thereby attractingthe disk, to the undersideofthe transparent cover C. Under in- I fluence of said charge the disk first assumes a vertical or neanvertical position as shown byE in Figure 2 and is then attracted edge wise to and against theyunderside of-thecover G as shown by E imFigure-Q and. in-this position is made to-revolve, roll, spin, gyrate and vigorously movefbyforce of the charge until it finally comes to rest over or on that portion of the bottom A which is then to be reador scored- 2 In using the device for fortune telling, should the disk come to rest over or on a cer tain legend, the character of the legendwill be such as to state a certain fact purporting to have reference to the players life,charac- 'ter, or: event which may take place in the future, or such other reading as generally forms a part of fortune telling games. In" 1 using the device where hilarity is desired the legend will be directive suchas for instance Pull noses with the person on your right,

Sing a'song, Crow like a roosterj Doas person on left. wishes and similar inscri-p ti ns. i Having "thus described my inventioniI claim as new and 'd esire to-secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America:

In a device of the character described, th 135 combination with a substantiallysquare contai-ner comprising a bottom and sides rising therefrom of "electrically non-conductlble material, a cover securedto said sidesof transparer-it'celluloidmaterial, and-apl'uraL ity of disks within said'lc'ontainer, .a. portion of. the edges of which are treated" with a metallic substance to properlywei'ght said disks so. that theywil'l depend from. saidcover when said cover is electro statically charged.

1' In'te'stim-ony whereof I affix my signature.

a. disk of different color. fora each. player, Y

may be. relatively thin, andf is, preferably I 1 round but thisshape may bevaried at will, 7' 2 i under which arrangement several players may progress. Witheach charge of energy."

' Tha -edges E ofthe disk are of metal [or treated with a metallic substance, .IIhe disk 

